Cranberry juice does a lot of heavy lifting in cocktails. It brings tartness, color, and enough body to stand alongside a spirit without getting lost. This recipe pairs it with non-alcoholic vodka, fresh lime, and a splash of sparkling water for a drink that works year-round but feels especially right from October through the holidays.

Getting the balance right

The cranberry-to-lime ratio matters here. Too much cranberry and the drink tastes like juice. Too much lime and it becomes sour. The half ounce of simple syrup bridges the gap, rounding out the tartness without making things sweet. If your cranberry juice is already sweetened (check the label), skip the simple syrup entirely or cut it to a quarter ounce.

Use 100% cranberry juice if you can find it. The cocktail-style cranberry juice blends work fine, but pure cranberry juice gives you a sharper, more complex flavor that plays better against the vodka alternative. The color is deeper too.

Choosing your vodka alternative

CleanCo Clean V has a clean, neutral profile that lets the cranberry and lime do the talking. That’s what you want in a cranberry cocktail. The spirit is there for body and a slight warmth, not to compete with the fruit. Ritual Zero Proof Vodka is another option with a bit more bite, which some people prefer.

Serving suggestions

This works as a single serve over ice or scaled up for a pitcher. For a party batch, multiply everything by six, skip the sparkling water, and add it individually to each glass right before serving so the fizz stays lively. Float a few whole cranberries in the pitcher for a simple presentation that looks intentional.

For a twist, try swapping the sparkling water for ginger beer. The spice pairs surprisingly well with cranberry, and it pushes the drink closer to a Holiday Cranberry Mule territory.